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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Oh Facebook...

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. On one hand connecting with people, past and present, is generally entertaining and fun for me. I get to see the lives of people I met 30+ years ago as well as people I met last week in a way that is interesting and amusing.

The downside of Facebook is some of the inane posts about what's for dinner or bickering about political/religious/sports themed issues which can hit "that" nerve. Although this too can be entertaining, it is often annoying.
The time factor of Facebook can be a sticky wicket too. Some days I feel obsessed with what is going on in the Facebook world or if people will "like" or "comment" on my status. I often think in terms of "Is this (event, feeling, issue, joke...) Facebook worthy?" Or "Should I change my status? It's been a while, do people know I'm here?" And I get a little nervous if I am posting something stupid or ridiculous, like what I am having for dinner.

What I've decided in this little battle of loving and hating Facebook is that I truly value connections. Connecting with friends is extremely important to me and I thrive on time spent with my friends--online or in person. So for me, the love is going to win out. (Doesn't Love win every time??) I love connecting with people, and right now Facebook provides a way for me to do this.
Before the age of Internet technology, I was a letter writer. I wrote to my grandparents, aunts, uncles and I had a pen pal that lived in Toledo, Ohio. My maternal grandmother was a letter writer and I think I got the bug from her. I thankfully kept many of the letters I got from my Aunt Marilyn who was basically a grandmother to me. I adored hearing about Iowa life--from the weather to the height of the corn, it was golden and priceless.

Facebook is a pseudo variation of the letter to me. I can give and get tidbits of information that enrich my life. I can learn fun facts about people, passions people have, businesses they are a part of, dreams, hopes and sometimes I'll even "like" what someone is having for dinner.

Oh Facebook. You are loved and hated, frustrating and entertaining...but you have brought "The Connection" back to our society, so I am grateful. (I think...)

This blog post was brought to you by the following inspirations:

For the ridiculousness of Facebook: South Park Season 14 Episode 4--You have zero friends
For the redeeming quality of Facebook (and a REALLY cool photo project): This Blog, which was posted by a friend on Facebook...go figure.

And finally, for the love of the old fashioned way of connecting--The Letter: My Aunt Marilyn and my Grandma--the best letter writers in the world.

1 comment:

I am just now seeing this post. I must have missed it on FB. Anyway, I totally could have written this! I find myself having the same tug of war with FB. I am always threatening to take myself off, but I never do. And I do love reading others' posts, no matter how silly they can be. So, I guess I'm a FBer for a while longer!